The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-03-09

With doubts and fears and terrors wild,
Oh, let my soul. expiring, hear
Only theso words of heavenly cheer;
"Sleep we'll, my childr'
| --CEugene Field, in Chicago News.
Harvesting.
| Death is not destruction, but harvest
ing-thc gathering from fields of mortal
tillage ripe fruits in their season. And
why then should our harvest feast be
sad over garnered Immortality Why
should this swcetly tolling bell, filling
their troubled earthly airs with gentle
sound, so starte and appal the trustful
spirits Dye sad mourners over beloved
graves that by reason of bereavement
can hardly find in your hearts this day
to be grateful, and to whom our hymn
of thanksgiving hath the seeming OF q
requiem for the Geadl God strengthen
your faith so to behold this mysterious
thing in light from heaven, that its
dark veil shall seem transparent, and o
face with soft eyes look forth loving and
bright as the face of an angel.
Death is not destructionl Death Is
net even decay! Death is harvesting!
Hear ye this, o disconsolate hearts! Ye
parents from whese household sweet
children have been rudely parted, hear
ye this: "The Beloved hath gone down
into his garden to gather liliesT' Ye
children who have lost reverend parents,
and whose life is chilled in the shadow
of that dread thing--orphanage-hear
ye this: .'As shock of corn cometh in
in his season." so are matured souls
gathered to the garner of God.
Death is harvesting; and the design OF
the harvest is the preservation of tie
grain. The phrase "cometh in" is rem
dered literally in the margin "as-
cendeth, :" having reference to the situa-
ton of the eastern garners on some hill
top, unto which the gathered corn was
borne from the lowlands with the glad
songs of the reapers. And all this is
metaphorical OF the joy and glory of the
risen immortality. as removed from
earthly trials and advanced to high and
heavenly ministries.
With death end all processes of til
lage. No longer the plough and tho
pruning knife, the driving wind and
rain. Henceforth only the serenely
sheltered garner. We attempt no dis
course on this analogy. 1t is trancen-
dent to our experience, and therefore to
our understanding. Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, nor heart OF man con-
ccived, the bright reality. But eye
hath seen and ear heard all the fairest
things wherewith VIC strive to image tho
Unseen and Etcrnal-gloves, gardens,
green fields, flowers, fruits, sunny f"un-
tains, temples palaces, thrones, dia'
dems, triumphs-such things in their
very fulncss of glory we have seen on
earth. These things are indeed part OF
the tillage-accessorics of an economy
unto which pertain the harrow and tho
pruning knife, tribulation and anguish.
And it were folly out fsuch things to
form images of the condition OF fruits
and flowers gathered to manifest the
glory of the great Husbaudman in the
city of God.
This much only can we understand,
that the risen spirit is advanced at death
not simply to frames of intense rapture
but to spheres of transcendent usefulness
in the kingdom of God. Aud as we re-
ioice over the value and uses of our Sc
cured harvests, so does all heaven exult
as things precious unto God. over The
spirits of just men made perfect in glory.
And as augcl-reapers gather them and
bear them upward in flaming chariot:
along yon highway of sapphires unto the
heart and throne of the Eternal Father,
heaven will open wide its joyful gates,
and all the shining creatures that stan1
before God strike their harps to the an
them of the great harvcst-home, because
perfected man cometh to his end ''as
shock of corn cometh in in his season!'
-TRev. Charles Wadsworth, D. D.
I set out through the problems OF life
on search for God, and did not find
God. found only problems that made
me doubt Of God. Then | SAID in word:
of old, "Verily, thou art q God that
hidest thysclf; why art thou so far from
helpihr me9" And while yet spakc, c
voice made answer. "Why didst thou
not meet me at the door3' Thou hast
been in search OF me through the iaby-
rinths of the world why didst thou not
come first to me to lead thee through the
labyrinths2 Thou hast been seeking tt
sec me by the light of the world; why
didst thou not rather seek to see the
world by my light9 would hav'
made all things clear to thee II thou
hadst met me at the door" ".-[Gcorge
aIathcson, D. d.
A MERCHANT called at the office OF a